Shadows and Starlight
by the shampain sleeper
Summary: Six rogues, on a mission. Five clans, on the brink of war. Five kits, who just might be the solution. (Adopted from winxclubfan1)
1. Allegiances

**Disclaimer: I do not own this story idea. I adopted it from the fabulous winxclubfan1. I also do not own Warriors. It belongs to the fabulous Erin Hunter. If I owned it, Graystripe would have stayed deputy and it would be Graystar's Storm instead of Bramblestar's Storm.**

 **RockyClan**

 **Leader: Nettlestar** : Black and white she-cat with green eyes

 **Deputy: Rainpool** : Silvery she-cat with green eyes

 **Medicine Cat: Blueclaw** : Blue-gray tom with blue eyes

 **Warriors**

 **Brownleaf** : Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Leafwhisker** : Brown and gray dappled she-cat with green eyes

 **Whitemist** : Small white she-cat with one blue eye and one amber eye **Apprentice: Softpaw**

 **Pouncefall** : Silver she-cat with strange markings on her back

 **Stonestripe** : Gray tabby tom

 **Mistyclaw** : Gray and white she-cat with a large scar on her back **Apprentice: Sneezepaw**

 **Graytail** : Black tom with a dark gray tail

 **Ripear** : Gray and silver tom with one ear torn off **Apprentice: Wetpaw**

 **Goldenpelt** : Beautiful golden she-cat with amber eyes

 **Bounceclaw** : Silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

 **Apprentices**

 **Softpaw** : Brown tom with gray patches

 **Sneezepaw** : Sickly-looking white tom who sneezes a lot

 **Wetpaw** : Ginger long-furred tom with startling blue eyes

 **Queens**

 **Silvershadow** : Silver she-cat with black stripes, mother to Stonestripe's kits

 **Deepeyes** : Gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother to Graytail's kits

 **Kits**

 **Poisonkit** : Gray tom with unusually long teeth and blue eyes, son of Silvershadow and Stonestripe

 **Midnightkit** : Black and silver she-cat with yellow eyes, daughter of Silvershadow and Stonestripe

 **Elders**

 **Moonpelt** : Silvery tom

 **Blackdawn** : Black she-cat with amber eyes

 **Doveheart** : Once-beautiful white she-cat with silver markings

 **WaterClan**

 **Leader: Riverstar** : Sleek gray she-cat with blue eyes **Apprentice: Graypaw**

 **Deputy: Hiddenflower** : Black she-cat with green eyes

 **Medicine Cat: Sunlily** : Ginger she-cat with fiery amber eyes

 **Warriors**

 **Doveflower** : White she-cat with green eyes

 **Tornclaw** : Brown tabby tom with green eyes **Apprentice: Nightpaw**

 **Reedfang** : Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Tallthorn** : Black and white tom with pale green eyes

 **Scarfang** : Ginger tabby tom with a scar over one eye **Apprentice: Stormpaw**

 **Frostheart** : White she-cat with blue eyes

 **Whisperleaf** : Light gray tom with a white paw and amber eyes

 **Bumblegaze** : Golden brown she-cat with black stripes and amber eyes **Apprentice: Ivypaw**

 **Yellowdapple** : Dark yellow tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes **Apprentice: Weedpaw**

 **Creekwhisker** : Fluffy white tom with green eyes **Apprentice: Bramblepaw**

 **Apprentices**

 **Graypaw** : Gray she-cat with blue/green eyes

 **Nightpaw** : Black tom with dark green eyes

 **Stormpaw** : Gray tom with green eyes

 **Ivypaw** : Black she-cat with gray patches

 **Weedpaw** : Brown tabby tom with green eyes

 **Queens**

 **Willowflower** : Gray she-cat with white flecks, mother of Whisperfang's kits

 **Fishleap** : Ginger she-cat with white underbelly and green eyes, mother of Scarfang's kits

 **Tawnyfoot** : Tawny-colored she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Tallthorn's kits

 **Kits**

 **Wavekit** : Silver tabby she-cat with black stripes and blue eyes, daughter of Willowflower and Whisperfang

 **Ripplekit** : Silver tabby tom, son of Willowflower and Whisperfang

 **Shellkit** : Ginger tom with white patches, son of Fishleap and Scarfang

 **Heronkit** : White she-cat with blue eyes, deaf; daughter of Fishleap and Scarfang

 **Rainkit** : Pale gray she-cat with green eyes, daughter of Fishleap and Scarfang

 **WoodlandClan**

 **Leader: Fawnstar** : Pretty light brown she-cat with blue eyes

 **Deputy: Mosswing** : Tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes and white paws

 **Medicine Cat: Honeydawn** : Golden brown she-cat with amber eyes **Apprentice: Thrushpaw**

 **Warriors**

 **Nightfrost** : Black tom with a white tail tip and blue eyes

 **Birdsong** : Dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

 **Shadebreeze** : Light gray tom with blue eyes **Apprentice: Amberpaw**

 **Owlface** : Small brown tom with big eyes **Apprentice: Bluepaw**

 **Blossomlight** : White and golden she-cat with blue eyes

 **Redthroat** : Small white tom with a ginger patch on his chest

 **Kestrelsong** : Ginger and white she-cat **Apprentice: Thistlepaw**

 **Whitecloud** : Big white tom with green eyes

 **Lightningwind** : Golden tabby tom

 **Lionstorm** : Golden brown tabby tom

 **Tigerstripe** : Dark brown tabby tom with black stripes

 **Apprentices**

 **Thrushpaw** : Light brown tom with a plumy, ringed tail

 **Amberpaw** : Golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Bluepaw** : Blueish gray tom with green eyes

 **Thistlepaw** : Light gray tabby tom

 **Queens**

 **Grayflower** : Gray tabby she-cat with green eyes, mother of Nightfrost's kits

 **Kits**

 **Thymekit** : Dusky brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, daughter of Grayflower and Nightfrost

 **Sunkit** : Golden she-cat with lighter patches, daughter of Grayflower and Nightfrost

 **Butterflykit** : Creamy brown she-cat with blue eyes, daughter of Grayflower and Nightfrost

 **Hickorykit** : Smokey gray tom with blue eyes, son of Grayflower and Nightfrost

 **Marigoldkit** : Black she-cat with dark blue eyes, daughter of Grayflower and Nightfrost

 **Elders**

 **Whitefoot** : Black tom with white paws

 **JungleClan**

 **Leader: Leopardstar** : Sleek black she-cat with dark patches

 **Deputy: Patchclaw** : Small brown and white tom **Apprentice: Charpaw**

 **Medicine Cat: Smalltail** : Dark gray tom with a short tail **Apprentice: Dapplepaw**

 **Warriors**

 **Silvermoon** : Silver-blue she-cat with blue eyes

 **Aspenleap** : Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Swirlspot** : White tom with black swirled dapples

 **Sootbreeze** : Black tom with dark blue eyes

 **Drizzlepool** : Gray mottled she-cat with blue eyes

 **Hailstorm** : Speckled silver tom with blue eyes

 **Poppyheart** : Golden she-cat with amber eyes

 **Firestream** : Ginger and white she-cat with green eyes

 **Frostflame** : White she-cat with ginger paws **Apprentice: Dustpaw**

 **Blackstorm** : Battle-scarred black tom

 **Roseflame** : Pale ginger she-cat

 **Apprentices**

 **Dapplepaw** : Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

 **Charpaw** : Smokey black she-cat with a gray underbelly

 **Dustpaw** : Black tom with brown patches

 **Queens**

 **Flightfoot** : Swift gray tabby she-cat, mother of Blackstorm's kits

 **Ivoryfoot** : Off-white she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Jaywing's kits

 **Lynxtail** : Silver she-cat with black markings, expecting Patchclaw's kits

 **Lightstep** : Swift calico she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Hailstorm's kits

 **Kits**

 **Wolfkit** : Black tom with gray stripes, son of Flightfoot and Blackstorm

 **Vixenkit** : Ginger she-cat with green eyes, daughter of Flightfoot and Blackstorm

 **Mosskit** : Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes, daughter of Flightfoot and Blackstorm

 **Brindlekit** : White tom with brown patches, son of Ivoryfoot and Jaywing (deceased)

 **Heatherkit** : White she-cat with brown patches, daughter of Ivoryfoot and Jaywing (deceased)

 **Elders**

 **Moltedleaf** : Brown tabby tom

 **Brokenheart** : Brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes; insane

 **DesertClan**

 **Leader: Sandstar** : Pale cream-colored tom with amber eyes

 **Deputy: Darkshade** : Dark gray tom with blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat: Redthorn** : Reddish-gold tabby tom with green eyes

 **Warriors**

 **Sunheart** : Golden brown tom with blue eyes

 **Adderclaw** : Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Boulderheart** : Dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Bramblefeather** : Sand-colored she-cat with green eyes

 **Falconheart** : Brown tabby tom with forest green eyes

 **Boneheart** : White she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Spinepelt** : Brown tom with spiky fur

 **Russetthorn** : Bracken-colored she-cat with green eyes

 **Buzzardfang** : Light gray tom with large front teeth

 **Mudsplash** : Light brown tom with yellow eyes

 **Dawnpetal** : Golden she-cat with blue eyes

 **Queens**

 **Dewgaze** : Pale she-cat with light blue eyes, mother of Falconheart's kits

 **Flintstripe** : Silvery she-cat with green eyes, expecting Spinepelt's kits

 **Kits**

 **Cactuskit** : Light brown tom with blue eyes, son of Dewgaze and Falconheart


	2. Prologue

"We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side."

-Kahlil Gilbran

 **~000~**

You know of the clans, don't you? Of course you do. At least, you know of the clans of thunder, shadow, river, wind, and sky. The fact is, clans aren't so much of an uncommon thing. It is a natural instinct for groups of feral cats to join together and create these clans.

Elsewhere, a long ways away from these clans, come five others. A clan of rocks and mountains, a clan of water and waves, a clan of woodland and forest, a clan of jungle and rain, and a clan of desert and scorching heat.

Elsewhere still lived another group of cats. No, not a clan.

An empire.

Well, it was not a true empire. Not yet. We see it merely as a small band of brutal and vicious truly feral cats, not bound by laws or warrior code.

The one she-cat who lead it and kept it from dissolving into total anarchy was desperate for an empire, though. It was all she wanted. Nothing else pleased her. Not her dozens of tomcat suitors, not her many loyal kits. She was quite a sight to see, this cat. She didn't look particularly impressive, with average ginger tabby fur and green eyes. The way she held herself, however, made her seem like so much more.

Her true motives were a secret to all in her inner circle, and not even she herself was sure of them. But on this day, she had a new plan of attack. She had her most loyal mate summon five young cats.

 **~000~**

Lola tried to calm herself down. Cats got summoned to see Her all the time, didn't they? Nothing bad ever happened to them, right? Right!?

Was it something I said during training when I thought nobody was listening? Maybe She just confused me for someone else. Yeah, that's it, I bet. Lots of cats have similar names around here. She just mixed me up with someone else and once She sees it's me She'll just send me off and look for whoever it was that-

The calico's thoughts were interrupted when Kannio, the most faithful and loyal mate of Her, arrived. "She will see you now." he said quietly. Trying her best not to shake, Lola rose up and followed him as he lead her into the chambers of Her.

Inside, Lola was surprised to see that there were others. Emily, Chloe, Stephanie, and Kerrianne each turned slightly to meet her eye before turning back to the figure sitting on the large boulder in the middle of the clearing.

Her Imperious Condescension smiled, sending a chill down Lola's spine. "You are all probably wondering why I have brought you here today." Her voice was smooth and elegant, adding to her larger-than-life appearance.

"I have a mission for you, young darlings. Would you like to help me reclaim what is rightfully mine?"


	3. Midnightkit

"Fear cuts deeper than swords."

-George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

 **~000~**

Midnightkit was bored. She was bored, and she had pretty much no idea what to do about it. Stonestripe was off on some border patrol, and Silvershadow was napping in the nursery with Poisonkit. Midnightkit knew too well not to interrupt her mother and brother while they napped.

It wouldn't be so much of a problem, except for the fact that she wasn't allowed out of the nursery cave yet. It was an unofficial RockyClan rule that kits had to be three moons old to be allowed to navigate around the caves that made up the clan's camp. It was just as well. Midnightkit never let on to any of the others, but she was terrified of leaping around to the various ledges and landings. It was somewhat of a dumb fear, being a full blooded RockyClan member and all, but she still had another moon. Best deal with that later.

RockyClan was build into a mountainside. Several small caves made up the assorted dens, and cats would leap from rock to rock, elegant and agile. They were mountain cats, always had and always would be.

The rest of RockyClan's territory, the area around the mountain, was a mystery to Midnightkit. Every time she or Poisonkit tried to catch a glimpse, Silvershadow would pull them back and scold them, tell them that they were going to get themselves killed, and did they want to end up like poor little Mottlekit who had fallen out of the nursery cave when she was only a moon old and who was never seen again?

Whilst the others tossed and dozed, Midnightkit crept to the edge and gazed over, heart pounding. It was a rather foggy morning, and she couldn't see that far down. She felt both disappointed and relieved. She wanted to see how high up the cave was, but she also didn't. Sighing with resignation, Midnightkit decided that the only thing to do was to sleep.

 **~000~**

"Poisonkit! Get back here!" Midnightkit sighed inwardly when she heard her mother's cry. Her brother turned away from the edge, dejected.

"It's not like I'm leaving the cave!" he mewed indignantly. Silvershadow quickly padded over and swept her tail around her son protectively.

"You'll fall!" she hissed. "Go play with your sister!"

Poisonkit muttered something under his breath and padded deeper into the cave, where Midnightkit was. "It's so unfair! We're practically three moons old anyway!"

Midnightkit shrugged. "Why do you want to leave so bad anyways? It's just more caves. Nothing special."

Poisonkit gave her a horrified look. "Nothing special? Nothing special? It's the whole camp! Everyone in the clan lives in the other caves! We could meet the warriors and the apprentices…" Midnightkit ignored him.

From the moment of their birth, Poisonkit and Midnightkit had been polar opposites. Midnightkit was the quiet, polite one, hardly ever disobeying, showing her parents the utmost respect. Poisonkit was the ambitious one, clashing with his sister and his parents daily, always daring and full of elaborate schemes and ideas. Midnightkit loved her brother, but she had to admit that he was borderline insane most days.

"It's kinda cloudy outside." Midnightkit murmured. "Maybe it's better if we wait for the sun to come back."

Poisonkit nodded after a moment. "I guess you're right. We can't even see down to the ground now!"

Midnightkit let out an inward sigh of relief. Crisis averted. For now.


	4. Wavekit

"To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring upon ourselves."

-Federico Garcia Lorca, _Blood Wedding and Yerma_

 **~000~**

"Why don't you go play with the other kits?" Willowflower mewed, glancing down at her daughter. Wavekit shrugged and said nothing. It wasn't that she didn't like playing with the other kits. It was just that sometimes it was good to sit back and watch the clan. Wavekit loved to look at the big picture. She could see Doveflower, Reedfang, and Frostheart returning from a patrol, and Yellowdapple taking her apprentice, Weedpaw, out for a fishing lesson. She saw Riverstar conferring with her deputy, Hiddenflower, mewing a greeting to Sunlily the medicine cat as she left camp, presumably to collect herbs.

A few tail-lengths from the nursery, Wavekit's brother Ripplekit was tussling on the ground with Shellkit. Rainkit, Shellkit's brother, was looking on, cheering on her littermate. Wavekit quickly looked away and scanned the area for Rainkit and Shellkit's sister. There she was, wandering around and batting a rock across the ground. Poor Heronkit.

"Poor Heronkit," everyone would say. "Such a beautiful kit. It's a shame, really." It was a shame that a half-moon ago, Sunlily had declared Heronkit to be deaf. She could not hear the loudest sounds, and spent her days wandering about the camp in a perpetual, innocent daze. She had never learned to speak properly, only mewling every now and then like a newborn kit.

Wavekit had asked Sunlily what was so bad about being deaf. The medicine cat had given her a look. "Think, Wavekit. How would you ever understand anything if you couldn't hear someone describe it to you?" She had a point.

"Hi Wavekit!" The kit was pulled out of her thoughts by a friendly mew. It was Rainkit. So pretty. So kind. So intelligent. Wavekit shook her head slightly and smiled in reply. Rainkit followed Wavekit's gaze and set her eyes on her unfortunate sister.

"I feel horrible." Rainkit mewed quietly. "Whenever I look at her, I mean. Why did it happen to her?"

Wavekit racked her brain for a suitable reply. She found that looking at Rainkit made her thoughts freeze up. "Uh… Sunlily said that white cats with blue eyes are sometimes born deaf."

Rainkit nodded. "I wish she could become a warrior with the rest of us." She paused. "Mother says that it's a waste for her prettiest daughter to be this flawed."

Wavekit found herself blurting out, "I think you're pretty too." She felt very warm all of a sudden, and she had the urge to plunge her head in the nearest puddle she could find.

Rainkit smiled. "Thanks! I wish my fur was more silver like yours, though. It looks nice." Wavekit found herself unable to respond to such a compliment.

"Hey Rainkit! Wavekit! Wanna play mossball?" Ripplekit called. Grateful for the distraction, Wavekit gave an affirmative nod and jumped to her paws. Rainkit stood up as well, and they padded over together.

As they played, Wavekit tried as hard as she could to not think about Rainkit in that way. She may have only been a kit, but she knew that no good could come from an infatuation of that sort. None at all.

 **~000~**

After a few rounds, they had to stop because Heronkit caught the mossball and started batting it between her paws, and nobody felt like they could take it back from her. They all decided to follow Wavekit's example and observe the clan's activities. "Who do you think our mentors will be when it's time?" Ripplekit meowed. "I want Whisperleaf. He's a great warrior."

"Whisperleaf is our father!" Wavekit hissed.

"So?"

"We can't be mentored by our parents, clambrain!"

Ripplekit rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Who do you want, sister dearest?" Wavekit looked around at the warriors sharing tongues. _Frostheart is promising. Hiddenflower is cool, but she's the deputy, so that's probably not going to happen. Hmm…_ She cast her gaze to Sunlily. The ginger medicine cat was cleaning out her stores, tossing aside leaves that were starting to rot in the constant humidity that surrounded WaterClan. An idea sprang into Wavekit's mind.

"Maybe I want to be a medicine cat." Wavekit meowed matter-of-factly. The other kits looked at her, astonished.

"Really?" Shellkit meowed. "But don't you want to hunt and fish and fight for our clan? Scarfang said that there have been reports of WoodlandClan cats crossing the border."

Wavekit closed her eyes. _Yes. I want to hunt, and fight, and be the best warrior of WaterClan. But I can't._ She looked into Rainkit's eyes.

 _It would be too complicated to explain._


	5. Butterflykit

"My candle burns at both ends

It will not last the night;

But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-

It gives a lovely light!"

-Edna St. Vincent Millay, "First Fig"

 **~000~**

Grayflower was in one of her moods again. Butterflykit could tell because she was gazing off into the distance, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes, which had long since glazed over. There was only one way to remove her from the trance. Butterflykit padded over to where her littermates, Thymekit, Hickorykit, Marigoldkit, and Sunkit were resting in the shade. She wordlessly motioned towards their mother, and they nodded in understanding. They all made their way towards the nursery.

The gray queen continued to stare at nothing as she began her story. Butterflykit always found it to be quite sad, and it would be especially sad if you hadn't heard it a hundred times before like she had.

"It was only a few moons after I became a warrior," she began, her meow hoarse and full of emotion. "I had a perfect mate, and a new litter of five kits. Five! Litters of that size don't happen often, you know." Butterflykit knew.

"Five precious kits, four she-cats and only one tom. I named them Thrushkit, Amberkit, Echokit, Moonkit, and Foxkit. My sweet darlings." Her eyes seemed to darken and the tears finally spilled out. Butterflykit knew what came next in the story. Three of the kits- Echokit, Moonkit, and Foxkit- had gotten whitecough. It had been a strange variation of the sickness, which advanced to greencough much faster than normal. The little kits didn't stand a chance.

Just like that, Grayflower's perfect world had been shattered. She had only a son and daughter left. They were apprentices now, Thrushpaw and Amberpaw. Butterflykit knew that she and her littermates were conceived out of two grieving mates' desperation to reclaim what was lost. They had gotten their wish and then some: another litter of five kits. The odds of two litters of five in such close proximity to each other were close to impossible. But, Grayflower was never the same as she was before she lost three daughters, and her mood tended to change from placidness to a trance of depression in less than a heartbeat. Nightfrost, the kits' father, had distanced himself from it all, and Butterflykit rarely spoke to him.

Grayflower rose to her paws, too emotional to finish her story, and started to make her way to the medicine den to get some poppy seed. Thymekit sighed. "Not this again." she mewed sadly. Sunkit cast her gaze downward and scratched her tiny claws on the ground. Butterflykit hopped up the second she breathed in a couple of familiar scents.

"Thrushpaw and Amberpaw are back!" Hickorykit and Marigold kit jumped to their paws immediately and raced over to greet their older siblings. Thymekit moved a bit more carefully, and Sunkit closely trailed Butterflykit as they padded over. The two apprentices were immediately assaulted with questions.

"How was training?"

"Did you catch anything?"

"Did JungleClan trespass again?"

Thrushpaw stifled a laugh and Amberpaw rolled her eyes in a good-natured way. "We climbed the lightning tree today." Amberpaw purred proudly. The kits gasped. The lightning tree was a massive tree, one of the largest in WoodlandClan, which had been struck by lightning long ago. Its blackened, charred form remained one of the most recognizable landmarks of the clan, and climbing it was a difficult yet rewarding feat. A cat could see most of the territory from the upper branches.

"We didn't get all the way up." Thrushpaw added quickly. Amberpaw gave him a playful shove.

"We chased some squirrels, but we didn't catch any. JungleClan is staying where they belong, for once. Pretty good day overall. What did you guys do today?"

Butterflykit sat up a little straighter. "We played three games of mossball. Then we got tired, so we sat in the shade for a bit. Then Mother told us the story again."

Amberpaw sighed. "That again?" She shook her head. "I suppose she's in the medicine den now?" The kits nodded. "What she really needs is to just get over it already."

Little Sunkit spoke up. "Doesn't she have a right to grieve? She lost three kits, after all."

"Thrushpaw and I lost three littermates! It hurt, but we got over it." Amberpaw cast her fierce gaze to the camp entrance. "When we grieved, we grieved for our lost siblings. When mother grieves, she just feels sorry for herself. It's no wonder why Father pays us no mind anymore. He's had it. I have too, to be honest." With one last angry huff, Amberpaw stormed away. Butterflykit got up to follow her, but Thrushpaw stopped her.

"Let's go. She just needs to cool down." He padded away for a few minutes and returned with a clump of moss to start up another game of mossball. Butterflykit tried to concentrate, but her head was full of thoughts of her mother and Amberpaw and the three older sisters she never knew. This wasn't the first time Amberpaw had gotten a little tired of Grayflower and her story. Thrushpaw tried to calm her each time, but she only seemed to get more irritated. Did Grayflower only grieve for herself? She always seemed so devastated whenever she talked about her life before. Shouldn't she be happy now? Five more kits to care for. That alone would make any other queen full of never ending joy.

Grayflower rarely interacted with Butterflykit and her littermates, except to feed them and tell them her story for the millionth time. There were days when she would tell the story multiple times, having forgotten in her distress that she had just finished it.

Butterflykit wondered what Thrushpaw and Amberpaw's life was like back when Echokit, Moonkit, and Foxkit were still alive and they had two doting parents. And suddenly Butterflykit was crying, tears dripping out of her eyes and getting caught in her fur.

Thrushpaw looked down at her and immediately wrapped his tail around her in a comforting gesture. "Hey, what's wrong?" Butterflykit found that she couldn't stop crying. She felt the stares of her littermates burning in her creamy brown fur. Thrushpaw gave her a couple of reassuring licks on the forehead. "It's okay, sis. We'll get through this." His whisper was soft and gentle, like the love Grayflower must have had for her lost kits. Butterflykit quit trying to stop the tears, and just let them flow as she buried her face in her brother's fur.

 **~000~**

 **Hey all! Well, this story was on a bit of an unofficial hiatus for a while due to a variety of reasons including school, stress, and a lack of motivation to write. Well, I have regained faith in this story, and though I don't have much of an idea where I'm going with everything, I'll just write and see where it takes me. I have the next few chapters already written, since they're mostly introductions. It's just a matter of finding time to publish. Thank you to those who have favorited, followed, left reviews, or even just stopped by to read a chapter. See you all next chapter!**

 **-Leopard**


	6. Wolfkit

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

-Mahatma Ghandi

 **~000~**

Wolfkit's ears perked as he heard the distant rustling of branches far above him. JungleClan's camp was situated in an area where the undergrowth wasn't as dense as the rest of the jungle, and it was shrouded in an eternal dappled shade. Wolfkit looked up. Some small animal was scampering across the branches high above. He couldn't tell what it was, and tried to catch a proper whiff.

"Wolfkit!" Littletail's voice drifted over to him. The gray medicine cat padded over, looking agitated. "Wolfkit, what are you doing out here? You know you're not strong enough to play outside!"

The small kit sighed and followed Littletail back to the medicine den. Wolfkit had been born weak and sickly. Everyone expected him to quietly pass away a few days after his birth, but somehow, inexplicably, he survived. In a couple of moons he had gone from barely able to lift his head to having the strength to explore the nooks and crannies of the medicine den. He was still too weak to participate in clan life, however, according to the medicine cat.

Wolfkit's littermates, Vixenkit and Mosskit, were perfectly healthy little she-kits. He could sometimes see them play-fighting at the other side of camp, batting and swiping at each other while their mother, Flightfoot, looked on with pride in her eyes.

Wolfkit had always resented Flightfoot. She never came to visit except to nurse him, which she did with a remarkable lack of love and affection. Blackstorm, Wolfkit's father, seemed to understand the distance between Flightfoot and Wolfkit, and he made sure to visit his son much more than he needed to, usually accompanied by Vixenkit or Mosskit.

"When can I move into the nursery, Littletail?" Wolfkit mewed with an especially plaintiff tone.

"Probably not for a while, Wolfkit. There are a lot of cats in there, and more on the way. It might be too much for you to handle. The stress may kill you." Littletail sighed. Wolfkit let out a long breath through his nose and lay down.

"Besides," the medicine cat continued, "with Jaywing's death fresh in everyone's minds, we might want to stay distant for the time being."

Jaywing had died in a skirmish with WaterClan, leaving behind his mate Ivoryfoot and two newborn kits, Brindlekit and Heatherkit. Wolfkit had quietly observed part of the vigil from the medicine den before Littletail had ordered him back inside for a nap.

It was all really sad, but would Wolfkit's moving back into the nursery be such a bad thing?

Littletail sensed the kit's unhappiness and tried to cheer him up. "Don't worry, little one. Once you start to eat prey full time, you'll gain strength fairly quickly. Quickly enough to become an apprentice at the same time as your sisters, I bet!"

This didn't make Wolfkit feel much better but he forced a smile and a cheerful purr. It was then that a tortoiseshell she-cat padded into the den with a mouthful of herbs. Littletail smiled.

"Ah, there you are, Dapplepaw. Did you get the acai that I asked you for?" The she-cat set her herbs down.

"Yes, here it is. I also found a patch of belladonna growing near the WoodlandClan border, so I brought some of that as well."

"Excellent!" Purred Littletail, the pride for his apprentice very evident. "Can you sort the herbs with Wolfkit?"

"Sure!" The tortoiseshell turned to Wolfkit expectantly. The kit sighed and rose to his paws. The young cats worked the newly gathered herbs into Littletail's vast medicine stores. They were both silent for quite some time.

"You know," Dapplepaw mewed as she nudged the fresh belladonna in beside several pods containing poppy seeds, "Littletail thinks you should be a medicine cat apprentice."

Wolfkit shouldn't have been surprised, since every day of his life in the medicine den was spent helping Littletail and Dapplepaw, but he was still caught a bit off-guard. "Doesn't he already have you?"  
Dapplepaw shrugged. "That's what I said, but he said that the life of a warrior might prove to be too much for you, and it would either be this or the elder's den."

Wolfkit said nothing. _How does_ he _know that I won't be able to be a warrior? I still have four moons to get stronger._

"It's not too strange a thing, to have two apprentices." Dapplepaw and Wolfkit startled slightly when they heard Littletail's meow from outside.

"I didn't know you were out there." Dapplepaw muttered.

"Clearly." Littletail entered the den. "In this day and age, It's always good to have more medicine cats on hand."

"You mean with the stuff happening with WaterClan?" Wolfkit mewed quietly. Littletail didn't answer. He only looked outside at the cats of JungleClan, going about their business. His eyes rested on the nursery, where Lynxtail and Lightstep, both heavy with unborn kits, were talking to Flightfoot.

"You have shown skill with herbs, Wolfkit," Littletail meowed finally. "With Dapplepaw almost finished with her training, another apprentice may be exactly what we need now. As a medicine cat, you would be able to live a full life without the stress a warrior's life would bring. You would be a part of something great, Wolfkit."

The little kit sat, considering the offer. Though he was skilled at herbs and JungleClan might find itself needing another medicine cat soon, he still wanted to prove himself as a warrior.

"I'll think about it." He mewed quietly.

 **~000~**

 **There we go! I'm trying to get together a more coherent update schedule, but school can make it difficult sometimes. In response to the guest review I got last chapter: Yeah, I do like my angsty backstories. I'll definitely consider writing that, perhaps as a one-shot or something. Thank you for the review! Remember, reviews are always appreciated~**


	7. Cactuskit

"Behind every beautiful thing, there's some kind of pain."

-Bob Dylan

 **~000~**

The heat was unrelenting. Being DesertClan, it was _always_ unrelenting, but today it was especially so. Not a single cloud marked the endless blue sky. The only respite from the heat was beneath the large rock shelf which the cats of the desert had made their camp. Even then, the heat was still present.

Cactuskit of DesertClan felt right at home. The endless expanse of dry, cracked earth was right where he belonged. He knew that the cats of the other clans thought them mad to make a home in the desert, but those cats didn't see the beauty of the desert.

Would an outsider know the exhilaration and wonder of observing a falcon snatch up a twisting, writhing snake? Would an outsider know the beauty of a cactus in bloom? Would an outsider know what type of powerful, restless spirit developed in these cats as they endured blistering hot days and freezing cold nights?

Cactuskit had observed these things from his place under the rock shelf, and he knew that the desert was his place, and probably one of the best places for cats to roam. It was true that water was a highly valued commodity. Most water came from a tiny trickle that would flow from the cracks in the rocks, and it always tasted like dirt. Not a drop was ever wasted. Patrols often went out searching for another source, but to no avail. The clan was fine with that, though. DesertClan cats had become well adapted over many generations to the desert area, with bodies that could survive longer with less water and paws that could handle walking on the hot sand.

Cactuskit was sitting on the very edge of camp. He had been jumping in and out from under the massive rock slab. One second, he was in the safety of camp. The next, he was out in the hot, unforgiving sun. He absently wondered if cats did this on the borders of other clans sometimes. One second in DesertClan, the next in RockyClan. _Of course not_. He thought quickly. _That's against the warrior code._

The kit was a bit bored. He had no littermates, and there were no other kits in the nursery. Flintstripe was growing quite round, but her kits weren't due for quite some time. Cactuskit padded deeper into camp, where the dens were build into larger cracks in the rock. The whole place was remarkably unguarded, but Cactuskit figured that no cats in their right mind would dare to invade the desert.

He padded back into the nursery, where his mother Dewgaze greeted him with a friendly lick on the forehead. Flintstripe smiled at him from her nest.

"Hello there, dearest." purred Dewgaze. Cactuskit smiled and purred.

Flintstripe rose to her paws slowly, burdened by her belly. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see Redthorn."

Dewgaze flicked her ears. "What's the trouble?"

"I've been having these pains. It's probably just part of the process, but he might have something for me anyway."

Dewgaze nodded and Flintstripe left. Cactuskit flopped down on his nest, and the next thing he knew, he was starting to drift off. The heat did that sometimes.

 **~000~**

Cactuskit was brought back to the waking world by a cry out in the next nest over. "What's happening?" he mumbled, trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

"Flintstripe started kitting not long ago." Dewgaze murmured. It wasn't long before Redthorn arrived with a bundle of herbs. Spikepelt, Flintstripe's mate, wasn't far behind. Redthorn immediately send him outside.

Cactuskit watched the entire process with wide eyes. Redthorn ran his paw over Flintstripe's belly as she came closer and closer to birth. "Not long now." he murmured. Cactuskit couldn't help but notice that the medicine cat seemed a little worried. _He probably wasn't prepared for the kits to come this early._

The sun had traversed most of the way across the sky and was beginning to set. The cold night wouldn't be first kit came, with a silvery pelt like her mother. Redthorn got it breathing, and he was just getting her situated when the bleeding started. Blood was seeping out of Flintstripe and soaking her nest.

Redthorn cursed under his breath. "The second kit is coming." he meowed. "Feels like the last one. I'll go for cobwebs once it arrives." It arrived, a tom with his father's brown pelt. Redthorn went for cobwebs once he ensured that it was breathing. Cactuskit looked at the little kits curiously. They mewed softly. Flintstripe nuzzled them gently. The queen's movements seemed to be slowing, but the bleeding was increasing. Cactuskit hoped that Redthorn would be back soon.

"The she-kit will be Miragekit." Flintstripe whispered. Her meow sounded distant, like she was starting to fall asleep. "The tom will be Gorsekit."

"Those are good names." murmured Dewgaze. She seemed forlorn, looking at the new mother bleeding on the ground. Cactuskit didn't fully grasp what was happening until Redthorn returned with cobwebs, and upon looking at Flintstripe, set them at his paws.

"She's far away from us." the medicine cat murmured. "Too far."

Cactuskit was frozen, looking upon the queen as her chest stopped its steady rise-fall pattern. He stayed frozen, even when Spikepelt charged in and let out a cry of anguish, burying his face in his mate's silvery fur. Flintstripe's blood had seeped to the rock floor. It was a rich shade of red. Such a color was beautiful on a cactus blossom.

 _Or in a sunset._ Outside, the sky was ablaze with rich shades of orange and red. Red.

So much red.

 **~000~**

 **On that lovely note, the introductory chapters are finished! I need to ask a favor of you all. There will be several kits coming in the coming chapters, and I need names for them. Appearances too. If you could submit some in the coming chapters, I'd be very grateful, as names are my one weakness. Just fill out this form:**

 **Name (as well as warrior name):**

 **Clan:**

 **Description:**

 **I will be accepting non-canon names, as these are completely different clans then the ones we know and love. Thank you much!**

 **-Leopard**


	8. First Leap

"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

-William Faulkner

 **~000~**

Midnightkit was to be an apprentice within the moon and she had yet to exit the nursery cave. Her brother teased her relentlessly, and her mother tried time and time again to encourage her, but the she-kit did not budge.

"Don't you want to meet the apprentices?" Poisonkit meowed. "Softpaw's the best hunter, no doubt. There's a reason why his name is Softpaw." Poisonkit laughed at his own joke. Midnightkit rolled her eyes.

"I'll meet them when I'm ready, not a heartbeat before. I'm perfectly fine in here until then." In truth, Midnightkit was dying to meet them, and the other members of the clan as well. But every time she peeked over the edge of the rocky outcrop, she felt like she was going to be sick.

"Besides," she continued. "Someone needs to keep mother company. Not to mention Deepeyes and the kits." Deepeyes had recently kitten and was now the mother of Cliffkit, Rockkit, Mudkit, and Darkkit.

"The kits haven't even opened their eyes yet!" Poisonkit huffed. "Don't you get bored up here? I do." Midnightkit sat down and started absently grooming her paws, showing that her mind was made up.

"Fine then." her brother snapped. He stalked back inside. Midnightkit let loose a little sigh. _Poisonkit is a true RockyClan cat. I'm just a nuisance._ She padded deeper into the nursery. Silvershadow was quietly conversing with Deepeyes, who was nursing a couple of her kits. The queens stopped their conversation as Midnightkit made her way over to her mother.

"Hello, dearest." Silvershadow purred. "How are you?"

"Fine," Midnightkit muttered.

"Can I go visit the apprentices?" Poisonkit mewed.

"If you take your sister," Silvershadow replied.

"But she doesn't want to go! She's too scared." Poisonkit sneered, glaring at Midnightkit.

Silvershadow sighed. "Poisonkit, that's enough. Why don't you go play withRockkit? Deepeyes tells me she's opened her eyes." She motioned over to where the little black kit was sitting quietly behind her mother. Poisonkit grumbled, but he padded over to the kit without another word. Silvershadow turned her attentions to Midnightkit.

"I understand you're nervous, little one, but at some point, you must leave the cave."

The she-kit felt her blood run cold. "B-but… It's a really long way down and y-you always told us about Mallowkit and-"

"Mallowkit died because she tried to leave before she was ready. You are almost an apprentice! I'm positive that you'll be able to handle yourself."

Midnightkit was still unconvinced. "What if I slip?"

Silvershadow smiled. "You'll know what to do. You're a RockyClan cat. It's inside you. Just trust your instincts." Midnightkit took a deep breath, and then another. She tried in vain to get her heart to stop beating itself into a frenzy.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice not as steady as she had hoped. "Okay."

Silvershadow stood up and padded towards the mouth of the cave, stopping at the edge. Midnightkit followed her.

"You'll find that it isn't as far down as it seems. There are lots of crags and ledges to leap to. I'll go first. Follow me."

The queen crouched down and leaped over the edge. Midnightkit cautiously approached the edge and looked down. There she was, on a ledge a few tail-lengths down and to the right. Midnightkit forced her breathing under control. Mimicking her mother's movements, she crouched down and, positioning herself in the proper direction, made her leap over the edge.

 _StarClan help me!_

She landed on her paws and slid a bit, nearly falling into Silvershadow. The queen purred with approval. "Well done, my kit! A great first leap." Midnightkit forced herself to smile. Her legs felt weak. But at the same time, it all felt _right!_ This was it!

"Would you like to take a tour of the clan?" asked Silvershadow. "The warriors' den is just below us." She gestured with her tail to a wide, flat rock several tail-lengths below. "There's a lot of room on that rock for warriors to share tongues at sunhigh."

Midnightkit could see three cats down on the rock. One had a silvery pelt, one was a brown tabby, and the third was white and much smaller than the others.

The kit nodded eagerly. She wanted to meet these warriors.

"Because it isn't so much far away as it is down, focus less on distance with this leap, and focus more on your footing. Watch me." Silvershadow made a smaller, quicker pounce and landed on the rock below without much trouble. The cats down below greeted her. She looked up expectantly, waiting for her daughter.

Midnightkit made a small, precise leap and landed on the rock as well. She found that her heart wasn't racing as much and her breathing was mostly under control. She padded over to her mother and took a look at the cats on the rock. They were all she-cats.

"This is my daughter, Midnightkit." Silvershadow purred.

"Hi." Midnightkit mewed politely.

The small white she-cat was the first to respond. "Hello, Midnightkit. I'm Whitemist." Now that they were on level ground, Midnightkit could see that one of Whitemist's eyes was a clear blue, while the other was a deep amber. _That's odd. Does it affect her sight in any way?_

The brown tabby was next. "I'm Brownleaf. Nice to meet you." She seemed to be a quiet, soft-spoken type.

Finally, the silvery she-cat padded forward. "I visited you and your brother right after you were born, but I'm sure you don't remember that, do you?"

Midnightkit shook her head.

"My name is Rainpool. I'm the deputy of RockyClan."

Midnightkit instantly felt the urge to bow down in respect, getting an amused purr from the deputy. Silvershadow smiled at her daughter.

"Did you know that Rainpool is your kin?"

Midnightkit shook her head in amazement. _My kin is the deputy of RockyClan?_

Rainpool smiled. "That's right. Your mother and I are littermates." Now that she mentioned it, Midnightkit could see the similarities between the two she-cats, like the thickness of their pelts and the turn of their ears.

"Do you have any other littermates?" asked the kit curiously.

"As a matter of fact, yes." meowed Rainpool. "Mistyclaw and Graytail. Graytail's out on patrol now, and Mistyclaw's with her apprentice." Midnightkit recalled that Graytail was the father of the new kits. _That means they're my kin too. Who knew I had so much family everywhere?_

"Are you on a tour of the clan?" Rainpool inquired. Silvershadow nodded. "Well, this is the warriors' den, as you have probably guessed. Most everyone's out now, save for myself and these two. If you look above us, you can see Nettlestar's den."

Midnightkit looked up, craning her neck. Near the very top of the rock wall, higher than even the nursery, there was a large opening visible. "Doesn't she get tired if she has to climb all the way up there whenever she wants to go to her den?"

"I suppose one gets used to it after a while."

Midnightkit noticed a glint in the deputy's green eyes as she gazed up at Nettlestar's den. Was she thinking of what it would be like to climb all the way up there if she were the leader?

"Anyways, the apprentices' den is below us, and the elders' den is below that. All the apprentices are out now, except for Whitemist's apprentice, I believe."

Whitemist nodded. "Softpaw and I were on this morning's dawn patrol, and we'll head out for training with the others once they return. I'm sure he'd like to meet you."

Midnightkit nodded in agreement. She figured it was good to meet the apprentices since they would be sharing a den soon enough.

"I could come with you, but if you feel like you're ready, you can go to the apprentices' den on your own if you'd like," meowed Silvershadow. In spite of herself, Midnightkit nodded. The fear she had been feeling at the prospect of jumping had evolved into excitement over the course of the morning, and she felt ready to do it alone.

She padded to the edge, and upon inspection of the rocks below, she could see a crag that suited her purpose. Crouching to make the leap she felt it flowing through her - the raw instinct that had guided generations of RockyClan cats for seasons and seasons. The leap felt perfectly natural. Because the apprentices' den was a fair ways down, she had to make two more leaps to reach her destination.

This cave was smaller than the one where the warriors resided, but it was still a fair size. A brown tom with gray patches was grooming himself outside, but he stopped upon hearing the kit land. He regarded her casually.

"Hello," Midnightkit purred pleasantly. "You must be Softpaw."

"That I am." Softpaw groomed his paw absently. "And you are?"

"Midnightkit."

"That's right." He examined his paw. "Poisonkit's sister." The kit nodded. "So," the apprentice continued, "What took you so long to grace me with your appearance?"

"Oh, you know," Midnightkit mewed. "I just wanted to be sure I was good and ready."

"Poisonkit said you were scared to jump."

Midnightkit felt irritance at her brother prickle under her pelt. Of _course_ he would tell the apprentices his sister wasn't visiting because she was scared to jump. Of course.

"Don't be ashamed," Softpaw meowed quickly. "Fear isn't a sign of weakness, Midnightkit. It shows that you'll make a good, rational warrior who will make wise choices."

Midnightkit instantly felt much better. _Softpaw isn't so bad._

"Poisonkit said you'll both be apprentices soon," meowed the tom.

"That's right!" Midnightkit purred. "By the end of the moon, they say!"

"It'll be nice to have some new apprentices. My brothers and I are almost warriors, and we haven't had any apprentices since…" Softpaw trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"Since what?"

Softpaw sighed and beckoned Midnightkit with his tail. "It's kind of a long story. I probably shouldn't tell you, but you're almost an apprentice, and it's something you'll need to know." Midnightkit approached, intrigued. Softpaw took a slow, deep breath, and began.

"So, Sneezepaw, Wetpaw, and I used to have another littermate. Her name was Spiderpaw. We had only been apprentices for a moon or so when these two kits who had been in the nursery with us became apprentices. Their names were Eaglepaw and Boulderpaw. Eaglepaw's mentor was this tom, Lichenheart. Boulderpaw's was my father, Mountainfang."

Softpaw paused, took another deep breath, and continued.

"One day, Lichenheart and Mountainfang decided to take their apprentices on patrol with them. Spiderpaw and her mentor, this she-cat named Redfang, decided to tag along." Softpaw stopped again and padded into the apprentice cave. He returned with several small pebbles.

"Imagine this pebble here is RockyClan territory," he meowed, pushing it forward with his paw. "These three are WaterClan, JungleClan, and DesertClan." He placed the rocks so that they were lined up around one side of the RockyClan pebble. "WoodlandClan's back here." The last rock was nestled up against WaterClan and JungleClan.

"The way our territories are set up, we share borders with three of the other four clans. It makes for some lengthy border patrols. So, nobody was all that concerned when the patrol ran late."

Midnightkit had a sick feeling in her stomach. Somehow, she knew how this story would end.

"It was another day until their bodies were found, right by the JungleClan border. My father's body had been horribly mutilated, and so had Redfang's. Spiderpaw, Eaglepaw, and Boulderpaw's bodies were nowhere to be found, but we can only assume that they had been torn apart beyond recognition. There was blood and fur all over the ground." Softpaw trailed off, a great swirl of emotion in his amber eyes. "It was the worst disaster in RockyClan history."

The pair sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, in a small voice, Midnightkit asked, "What happened to Lichenheart? Did he die too?"

Softpaw laughed, a short, hard laugh. "No. I almost forgot the most important part of the story. Lichenheart was wounded all over, and one of his ears had been ripped clean off, but he managed to make a decent recovery. Nettlestar changed his name to Ripear."

Midnightkit blinked. "That's kind of mean, isn't it?"

"Nah. Ripear's a pretty tough guy. I'm pretty sure he likes the name a lot. But he refuses to talk about what happened. Nobody could get anything out of him."

"Nothing?"

"Well he did say that it was cats, not some other animal, and we figure it had to be JungleClan since it happened right on the border, but they refuse to confess. A lot of warriors around here were pressuring Nettlestar to launch an attack, but she said that we were weak enough as it was. She was right. Everyone lost someone. I lost my father and my only sister."

"Was she a good sister?" Midnightkit mewed softly.

"Yeah." Softpaw nodded. "It was a real shock when it happened. All of us were pretty shaken for a long time. We still are, really," He sighed. "She was my favorite littermate, and I'm pretty sure I was her favorite too."

"I'm sorry," Midnightkit murmured. Even though she and Poisonkit fought all the time, she couldn't imagine losing him, and in such a horrible way, too! "So, is that why my brother and I will be the first apprentices the clan's had in a while?"

"Yeah. Not only was the clan down half its apprentices, but Brownleaf lost the kits she was expecting not long afterward. Redfang was her sister, so it was probably from the stress of losing her. You and your brother were born a few moons later."

"Wow," breathed Midnightkit. "I had no idea."

"I probably shouldn't have told you that," Softpaw meowed. "But you were going to find out sooner or later."

"Thank you for telling me." Midnightkit mewed sincerely. Softpaw nodded in return.

"So," the apprentice mewed, changing the subject, "When do you have to be back up there?" He gestured up to the nursery cave with his tail.

"Not for a while." Midnightkit stood up and started pacing around on the rocky ledge. Suddenly, she felt a burning question rise up.

"What were they like?" she blurted out.

"Who?"

"Mountainfang and Redfang and Spiderpaw and Eaglepaw and Boulderpaw. What were they like?"

Softpaw gave her a look. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because now I'll never get to meet them, or train alongside them, or share fresh-kill with them, or do _anything_ with them, so I want to know what it is that I'm missing out on."

Softpaw smiled a small smile. "I'm probably not the best cat to tell you, but I'll give it a try anyways. Who should I start with?"

"Your father," Midnightkit mewed.

"Very well." Softpaw sat down in a more comfortable position and began. "Mountainfang got his name because he was really big, like a mountain. He was dappled white and ginger - pretty strange for a RockyClan cat, but he made it work. He was good to me and my littermates. He always brought us gifts. Usually, they were rocks, little pebbles, from all over the territory."

"Are these them?" Midnightkit nosed the rocks he had used to show the territories of the clans.

Softpaw nodded. Midnightkit could see the grief welling up in his eyes, so she changed the subject. "How about Redfang? How was she?"

Seemingly grateful for the distraction, Softpaw leaped at the next question. "Redfang was full of grit, determination. She was so loyal to this clan and everyone who lived in it. It was no wonder she was made deputy."

"Deputy?" Midnightkit mewed in surprise.

"Oh yeah. I guess I forgot that bit too." Softpaw laughed again. "Redfang was the deputy. Rainpool took up the post after it all happened."

Midnightkit nodded. "What about the apprentices?"

"Eaglepaw and Boulderpaw were both really cool. Oh, wait! I forgot! Why do I keep forgetting the crucial parts of the story?" Softpaw shook his head. "They were Nettlestar's kits."

Midnightkit's jaw dropped. "How in the name of StarClan did the manage to not launch an attack?"

Softpaw shook his head. "I don't know. It must have taken a lot of self-control. It all just makes me admire her even more."

Midnightkit nodded in agreement. It was then that Whitemist deftly leaped down to where the two cats were talking.

"Sneezepaw and Wetpaw will be here soon. Want to meet them at the bottom?" Whitemist carried a certain energy and charisma with her wherever she went. Midnightkit couldn't help but smile.

"Sure," Softpaw meowed, in the same casual tone as when Midnightkit had first leaped down. He turned back to the kit. "Can you get back up there okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Midnightkit meowed. She honestly hadn't even thought about how cats managed to leap back up where they came from, but she figured she could work it out. "Tell Sneezepaw and Wetpaw I said hello!"

"Will do." Softpaw hopped up to his paws and followed his mentor. "Catch you later, Midnightkit."

In an instant they were gone, leaping down to meet the others. Midnightkit turned around, and leaping back up onto a small ledge above her, slowly started to make her way back up to the nursery.

That night, as she lay in the nest she shared with her mother and brother, she realized that Softpaw hadn't told her about Spiderpaw. Of course, she reasoned, it was likely a very personal subject.

 **~000~**

 **I bet y'all thought this story was dead, right? Well, I did too, to be perfectly honest. Between school stuff and life in general I just really haven't been able to give this story the time it deserves, not to mention that I've been putting a lot of work into some original work as well. Well, I just finished a (very rough) draft for a novel that I've been planning for a while, and I thought I'd lay it aside for a bit and visit some other things. Namely, this. So here I am! Sorry for being gone for… wow, has it been almost a year already? If any of you who read this when I first published it are still out there somewhere, or if you happen to stumble upon this today, I'd be very appreciative if you gave it a read and left behind a review. They really help out more than you could ever imagine. I have a lot more time now, so I'm going to try and see how much more of this I can churn out before life gets in the way again. Thank you so much to those who have supported this story so far. It's going to be a long journey from here, and I can't wait to embark on it with y'all!**

 **-Leo**


	9. Giving In

"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like."

-Lemony Snicket

 **~000~**

The day was a wet one, and for WaterClan, that was really saying something. The gray clouds hung in the air, heavy with moisture, ever-threatening to drop their loads upon those below. Despite having a restless sleep the night before and waking up groggy and cross in the morning, Wavekit knew instinctively that today was the day. She would tell Sunlily that she wished to be apprenticed to her and begin training as a medicine cat. She had been working up the courage for moons, but every time she felt sure of herself, she always managed to talk herself out of it. It always irritated her. What was she so afraid of? That Sunlily would say no? That StarClan would reject her as soon as she set paw in the Starcave for her medicine ceremony?.

Maybe it wasn't so much a fear of rejection as it was a fear of the life ahead of her if she went ahead as Sunlily's apprentice. Though she would get a little bit of warrior training so that she would know the most basic hunting and fighting tactics if the need for them ever arose, Wavekit would still mostly live a life revolving around the best times to gather particular herbs, a life of getting fussy kits to swallow bitter herbs and cleaning the wounds earned by warriors who had valiantly served their clan to their best ability.

Wavekit knew inside that the life she truly wanted the life of a warrior. She wanted to hunt amongst the mangrove trees by the sea. She wanted to charge into battle, her fellow warriors by her side, to fight for the glory and power of all of WaterClan. She wanted that life, an exciting whirlwind of a life, not the quiet life she would spend tucked into the medicine den in the corner of the camp. Of course, Wavekit was already accustomed to a quiet life, preferring to sit quietly and watch the members of WaterClan carry out their day-to-day business rather than engaging in the mindless games of her littermates. Yet, she wanted to have an opportunity, a mere chance to experience the whirlwind life, whether she was suited to it or not.

However, there was one thing. One minor hiccup. One fact that gave Wavekit pause. She knew that if she ended up becoming a warrior, eventually her denmates would start to pair up. Start families. Keep the clan alive through the creation of new life. Wavekit knew that she would be pressured to follow in their paths. And though she was barely five moons old, Wavekit already knew that she could never love a tom like all she-cats were expected to. If she had to become a queen with a litter of kits and a devoted mate, Wavekit knew it would just be one huge lie.

Granted, becoming a medicine cat would also be a lie, in a way. Her clanmates would assume her decision had to do with some spiritual calling she had, something that compelled her to serve something greater than herself, to devote her life to medicine and StarClan's mysterious ways. But, at least this lie would be a more believable one.

With all this weighing on her mind, Wavekit stumbled out of the nursery into camp, filled with a deep sense of determination. Cats were already starting to stir. A hunting patrol was just leaving, squeezing through the thick mangroves that surrounded WaterClan's camp. Nobody in the clan seemed concerned about the sunless sky. Wavekit padded across camp to the medicine den. It, like the other dens of the clan, was made out of tightly-woven mangrove branches. The structures were strong, and they always kept out the worst of the rain, making them one of the more ingenious of WaterClan's various innovations.

Wavekit padded over to the den, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Needn't draw attention to herself until absolutely necessary. The kit poked her head into the den's opening. Sure enough, there was Sunlily. She was poking through her stores, nudging piles of leaves with her muzzle, muttering to herself as she went. "No more comfrey? I could've sworn I just picked some yesterday…" It was a few minutes until she noticed Wavekit sitting patiently by the entrance. "Oh! Hello, Wavekit. Have I kept you waiting?" The kit shook her head slowly. "Well, good." Sunlily sat up, nudging her herbs aside with a paw. "What can I do for you, Wavekit?"

Suddenly, the little speech Wavekit had been rehearsing for the past quarter moon seemed to fizzle and vanish from her mind. "Well, uh… I was just wondering if you… had any plans to… get an apprentice?" Wavekit stumbled over the words, internally flinching at her own awkwardness.

If Sunlily noticed Wavekit's clumsy delivery, she didn't mention it. Instead, she smiled a warm, knowing smile. "Are you asking if you can become a medicine cat apprentice, little one?" Wavekit nodded, feeling some slight relief.

Sunlily beckoned Wavekit with her tail, motioning her to fully enter the medicine den. Wavekit padded in, trying to ignore the wobbly feeling that had suddenly erupted in her limbs.

"What made you interested in this path?" meowed Sunlily as she sat down near the back of the den, motioning for Wavekit to do the same.

"Well, uh… I guess it just seems pretty neat, the whole thing. I mean, medicine cats are the only ones in the clan who can actually heal cats, and they get to communicate with StarClan, and that's pretty cool too. I guess I just like the idea of serving something greater than yourself, you know?"

Sunlily nodded. "The path of a medicine cat is indeed a rather rewarding one, should you choose to follow it. However, it's also a big commitment. We medicine cats have our own code to follow in addition to the warrior code. Those who have broken this code have… fared poorly, in the past."

Wavekit nodded. _If she meant the bit about not having a mate or kits, I'm sure I'll be fine._

"I'm glad you came to me, Wavekit. I've been watching you for these past few moons, and I was actually considering you as a potential medicine apprentice."

This was surprising, to say the least. "Really?"

Sunlily nodded, her amber eyes glowing. "Yes. You have all the right qualities we medicine cats like to look for. You're quiet and observant, and you seem to have an incredible capacity to care for those around you. Of course, I wasn't going to approach you about it unless you seemed interested. And it appears that you do!"

Wavekit blinked. "So… Can I? Be your apprentice, I mean?"

"Why, of course! I think you'll be perfect for this position. I'll speak to Riverstar about it as soon as I finish with these herbs."

Without even thinking about it, Wavekit meowed, "I can help you with those." She figured that she had better get used to herb-sorting if this was to be her life.

Sunlily brightened up. "Why, thank you, Wavekit! That would be a big help."

So, the soon-to-be medicine cat apprentice got to work with her soon-to-be mentor, trying her hardest to push away the internal feeling of dread that was gnawing away at her insides.

 **~000~**

 **Hey y'all! I've been trying my best to get on a weekly update schedule, but life (and studying for finals) tends to get in the way. Don't forget to review!**

 **-Leo**


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